Trans Am Alum Connor Zilisch Earns Full-Time NASCAR Xfinity Series Ride with JR Motorsports

August 7, 2024

18-year-old Connor Zilisch announced today on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, the Dale Jr. Download, that he will be racing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports in 2025.

Zilisch made his Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli debut at VIRginia International Raceway at the end of the 2021 season, earning the pole in his first start in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. He went on to compete in TA2 full time in both 2022 and 2023 for Silver Hare Racing, breaking through with his first win at Road Atlanta in 2023. He went on to win four more TA2 races that season (Detroit Grand Prix Race 2, Music City Grand Prix, World Wide Technology Raceway and VIR). The same weekend as his TA2 victory from the pole at VIR, Zilisch also made his debut in Trans Am’s TA class, earning the pole and the win for a weekend sweep.

Zilisch kicked off the 2024 TA2 season with a victory at Sebring International Raceway, continuing his winning ways with Silver Hare Racing. Outside of the Trans Am paddock, he has been forging a name for himself in all forms of motorsports. He started the year with an LMP2 win in the 24 Hours of Daytona and followed that up with a victory in the same class in the 12 Hours of Sebring. He has earned three ARCA Menards Series wins (Dover Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park), and one ARCA East win (Flat Rock Speedway), and earned a pole and top-five finish in his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Circuit of The Americas. He also tallied a victory in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour at Hickory Motor Speedway. He has a multi-year development contract with Trackhouse Racing and Chevrolet, and is scheduled to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with JR Motorsports at Watkins Glen International later this year.

See the official announcement here.